Section: News & Summaries
Russia must withdraw its forces from Eastern Ukraine – US Secretary of State John Kerry
A senior State Department official reported that on Wednesday, April 23, 2015, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had the phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. John Kerry stated that pro-Russian terrorists had to stop violating the cease-fire, and Russia had to withdraw its forces from Ukraine. US Secretary of State John Kerry...
Defining US Strategy for a World in Transition
With war tearing apart eastern Ukraine, ethnic strife claiming lives from Libya to Yemen, and record numbers of African refugees drowning in the Mediterranean, it’s easy to conclude that the once-familiar world order is falling apart. Whether or not that’s true, few scholars would dispute that the United States is no longer in charge...
Gazprom, Just Follow the Law
European energy security has received a great deal of attention on both sides of the Atlantic since Russia suspended gas shipments through Ukraine in the winter of 2009. In response to Ukraine’s experience, the European Union has taken steps to develop interconnectors and new liquefied natural gas facilities that would allow gas to flow to...
Poland slams US over holocaust remarks
Poland was still waiting for the US to apologise for remarks by an FBI official that “implied complicity in the Holocaust during WWII.” ||| Warsaw – Poland was still waiting for the United States to apologise for remarks by an FBI official that it says implied complicity in the Holocaust during World War Two, a government spokeswoman said...
EU turns up heat on Russian gas giant
The EU launched a legal attack on Gazprom yesterday, stoking tensions with Moscow as it accused the Russian gas giant of overcharging buyers in eastern Europe and hindering competition. ||| Foo Yun Chee and Philip Blenkinsop BrusselsTHE EU launched a legal attack on Gazprom yesterday, stoking tensions with Moscow as it accused the Russian gas...
Letter: Experts Worry that “Decommunization” Laws Curtail Free Speech
Editor’s note:It’s unfortunate that in a time of critical issues that legislation that disenfranchises so many looks like it’s going to become law.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is expected to sign four laws on “decommunization,” recently passed by Ukraine’s parliament, which enact an official version of...
Kremlin names new agriculture minister
The governor of one of Russia’s key wheat-producing regions has been named as Moscow’s new agriculture minister. ||| Moscow – President Vladimir Putin has appointed the governor of one of Russia’s key wheat-producing regions as agriculture minister, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, charged with strengthening the sector....
Council of Europe launches new action plan for Ukraine
The Council of Europe will do everything possible to contribute to the implementation of the Minsk agreements, in order to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland said this at a plenary session in Strasbourg, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. “I cannot say that the Council of...
Wall Street rallies
Wall Street ended sharply higher on Monday after China moved to stimulate its slowing economy while investors bought up technology stocks on cautious optimism on upcoming earnings reports. ||| New York – Wall Street ended sharply higher on Monday after China moved to stimulate its slowing economy while investors bought up technology stocks...
The Achilles’ Heel of Ukraine’s Mighty Oligarchs
The Ukrainian government’s well-executed showdown in March 2015 to rein in the country’s wealthiest oligarch is the first of many battles with the oligarchs that lie ahead. In the battle with the oligarchs, Poroshenko—the owner of Roshen Confectionery Corporation and an oligarch himself—is uniquely positioned to fight. The President...